Toll authority weighs higher bridge fees

Bridges

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, October 15, 2009

A driver pays the toll before crossing the Bay Bridge in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

A driver pays the toll before crossing the Bay Bridge in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 14, 2009.

Photo: Lea Suzuki, The Chronicle

Image 2 of 2

Fog rolls into San Francisco Bay covering the City and Treasure Island as seen from the Berkeley Hills on Wednesday September 24, 2009.

Fog rolls into San Francisco Bay covering the City and Treasure Island as seen from the Berkeley Hills on Wednesday September 24, 2009.

Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Toll authority weighs higher bridge fees

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

Motorists may pay $1 more to cross the Bay Area's state-owned toll bridges and get hit with an extra surcharge if they drive over the Bay Bridge into San Francisco during rush hour, under a scenario unveiled Wednesday by regional transportation officials.

In addition, carpoolers may lose their free passage over the state bridges and tolls for truckers could more than double.

The toll on the seven state-owned bridges in the Bay Area now costs $4. The Golden Gate Bridge, run by a separate district, charges $6 and will not raise its fees.

The proposals were presented for the first time Wednesday to the Bay Area Toll Authority commission, a regional transportation panel that must determine how to pay for the overhaul of the Antioch and Dumbarton bridges to make them safer in an earthquake. Those two projects would cost a combined $750 million.

Extra cash also is needed for the upkeep and operations of all the bridges in the Bay Area owned by the state.

LATEST SFGATE VIDEOS

Bridge officials estimate the higher tolls could generate an additional $164 million annually. The last toll increase was in 2007, from $3 to $4.

A decision isn't expected until late January after a series of public hearings. The price increases probably wouldn't go into effect until July.

The two most striking proposals experiment with variable tolls on the Bay Bridge and make carpoolers pay tolls.

The weekday Bay Bridge tolls would be priced so that when demand is higher, the tolls would go up.

The concept isn't new to transportation. San Francisco is moving to test the idea with its parking meters. Many transit agencies charge higher fares during the peak commute periods, and airlines raise ticket costs on most popular travel days.

"We believe there is a lot of evidence throughout the economy that price matters," said Steve Heminger, executive director of the Bay Area Toll Authority.

Charging more to cross the Bay Bridge when demand is highest could reap more revenue and reduce congestion if more drivers travel before or after the rush or decide to use transit, Heminger said.

But, he cautioned, the projected benefits need to be tested. He suggested that variable-priced tolling be enacted for a specified period. If the pilot succeeds, it then could be tried on the other spans, he said.

Current tolls

Option 1

Trucks: $5 for the first two axles and $6 for each additional axle, with a maximum of $35

-- Estimated additional revenue: $165 million a year

Option 2

Cars: $5

Carpools: Free

Trucks: $5 for the first two axles and $10 for each additional axle, with a maximum of $55

-- Estimated additional revenue: $166 million a year

Option 3

Cars: $5, except on the Bay Bridge, where cars would pay $6 during weekday peak hours, $4 during weekday off-peak hours and $5 on weekends.

Carpools: $3

Trucks: $5 for the first two axles and between 50 cents and $6 extra for each additional axle, with a maximum of $35

-- Estimated additional revenue: $164 million a year

Source: Bay Area Toll Authority

Latest from the SFGATE homepage:

Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.